Electronics : Brother MFC-8870DW Wireless Flatbed Laser Multi-Function Center |
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 Print, fax, scan, and copy -- all from one powerful unit. View larger. |
 Send scans, copies, and faxes directly from the MFC-8870DW to colleagues that are listed in your network address book. |
 Choose the document feeder or the flatbed. |
 Single or double sided -- you make the call. |
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Rating: - * Great Features but some reliability issues ... For the past 1 1/2 I have purchased several of these brother MFC machines, including the MFC 8870DW. As one other person indicated, the Brother printers seem to have a flaw with the paper tray and periodically they will stop working and click. A call to Brother does not resolve the problem. The good news is that I always buy through Costco so instead of sending back the problem machine to Brother for a "refurbished" one, I merely order a new one and take the broken one back to Costco for a full refund. It certainly would be nice if Brother could figure out the problem as I am sure they are getting lots of returns (5 from me at least) but the cost per copy is so much less than other printers and the speed of printing is teriffic. Also, the duplexing I use all the time and that too is very fast. So if you are looking for lots of features and don't mind bringing back a machine or too to Costco, buy this machine at Costco and don't worry about the problems. You can just get a new machine when the old one breaks! Rating:  - * Great Printer, Horrible Customer Service ... The MFC is great with double sided printing and wireless capability, but there does not exist enough expletives to describe Brother's customer service. Thus: Printer = 5 stars, Customer Service = -10 stars. Setup was quick and easy and printed well. But mine had a problem making copies. Fax, Scan, Print all worked great, but just copies came out blurry, light, and with toner hue inconsistently across the page. It did not matter whether using the automatic feeder or the flatbed. So I call customer service. Go through the process of cleaning everything and checking settings as told. Copies look the same as before. Customer Service tells me to replace the drum. I am not the smartest kid on the block, but if printouts look great from printing, why would the drum be bad? And why would I replace a 2 week old drum on my own dime? Logically, the problem would be before the process of placing toner to paper (such as the scanning portion). I attempted to convey this to customer service. But got the answer that I have to replace the drum before they can further talk to me. I asked for the next level of help, but I was told everything was handled correctly and would not be forwarded to the next level. I asked for customer service to lodge a complaint, but was given the 1-877-BROTHER number instead of being forwarded. If you have a problem, just exchange it or return it. Save yourself the hassle from calling Brother. If you do have to call, just lie and tell them you replaced the drum. Probably easier to scour the web, though, for an answer. Off topic: Amazon has been great in exchanging. UPS picks it up and drops off an exchange in its place. Rating:  - * Best Multi-Function Printer on the Market ... Best b/w multi-function printer money can buy. This is one of the few that has duplex capability for BOTH printing and scanning, and it is the only MF that has both capabilities and is anywhere close to this price range. The Brother MFC-8870DW would be a bargain at twice the price. We are especially happy with the wireless networking that has finally allowed us to locate the printer where we want it, rather than being constrained to being within cable range of our Mac. Highly recommended. Rating: - * Brother Printer Review ... So far, all seems to be working just fine. Look forward to using the many features installed with this printer Rating: - * Good but not perfect..... ... My wife needed this all-in-one to replace an overloaded HP 1012, an old and balky fax machine and a flatbed scanner. The main impetus was her business was requiring scanning of multiple sheets. We've had it for 2 months now and here's the results so far: THE GOOD: Frees up a lot of desk space; Quick & easy initial set up; big paper tray; superfast printing, quiet operation (despite some earlier reviews to the contrary); fax and document scanning has been a breeze; even the duplex feature has worked perfectly the few times we've used it. THE BAD: Our biggest grouse is the print output - when printing large jobs the output tray gets jammed up, eventually causing internal jams. It may be the cheapo paper we're using - after 40 sheets or so they seem to curl up and don't lie flat in the out tray - we have to constantly empty the output tray every 5 or 6 sheets otherwise it shoots sheets onto the floor or jams. Also as noted in other reviews, it will print envelopes for us but they tend to come out curled and wrinkled - we'll be doing envelopes (not a high priority for us) in our InkJet. Document scanning is great, but some initial attempts to scan 4x6 photo prints were spoiled by stripes or "plaid" artifacts - solution so far has been to resurrect the old flatbed. And lastly, we went and got the top-of-the line with wireless capability in the hope that my wife could print direct from her laptop. I was unable to follow the setup instructions in the manual first time through - will try again when I'm in the mood - would probably be easy for a halfways competent IT guy. Bottom line: vast improvement on what we had been using, for about the same aggregate price. Only intractable issue is the small and confined output tray, and that might be less of an issue if we upgraded our paper. |
In Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, devotees of the dram can peruse the latest revised edition of the 1989 work. In 336 pages brimming with maps, photos, and informed overview of factors such as geography and flavor components--even proximity to the sea--Jackson sketches the evolution of Scotch whisky, from the prebottling days, when shopkeepers like Johnnie Walker and the Chivas Brothers would create their own blends for sale, to the late-1960s and 1970s' surge of individual distilleries marketing their own bottlings. Lamentably labeling the former as a time when "orchestrations drowned out the soloists," Jackson provides some sweet sheet music of his own: 294 pages are devoted to an A-to-Z review (including full-color labels and tasting notes) of more than 800 singles from "every Scottish malt distillery that has ever witnessed its product in a bottle." It's the perfect book to take to your local liquor store next time you're trying to navigate the high shelf of Scotland's highlands, lowlands, and islands. You may laugh at Jackson's description of Auchentoshan Select's "oily" nose with "hints of citrus zest" or Aberlour 10-year-old's "mint-toffee" bouquet. But you'll be laughing out of the other side of your haggis when you actually smell them. All the notes are well researched and designed to appeal to Cardhu-carrying connoisseurs, as well as those who'd just like to know more about Bowmore. In his introduction, the author describes a whisky's finish as "a crescendo, followed by a series of echoes. When I leave the bottle, I like to be whistling the tune." Scotch drinkers will find plenty to wet that whistle in Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. --Tony Mason
 Compact and easy, to use the MyFi offers 150 XM satellite channels. |
The MyFi comes with a densely packed carton of accessories, including everything from headphones and antennas to a remote control, belt clips, and separate docking apparatus for integrating the receiver with your home and car stereos.
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An illuminated six-line LCD is your gateway to browsing XM's programming. You can browse by station, by category, or (our favorite) by currently playing artist. Thirty channel presets simplify access to your favorites, and a handy memo button stores artist and song data for up to 20 performances you'd like to look into later (or find again on XM).
Any satellite radio system requires a fairly heavy-duty antenna. Accordingly, the MyFi comes with four: one for the home (place it in a south-facing window), one for the car (mount it on the roof or trunk), a clip-on antenna for when you're hoofing it, and a built-in antenna. Our home reception was perfect--we never experienced a single drop out. Car reception was spottier, though still excellent. You just have to get used to the fact that where analog radio gets noisier in areas with poor reception, satellite radio drops out altogether; it's either all there, crystal clear, or all absent. And that's where My XM, MyFi's recording feature, comes in handy.
 The MyFi mounts easily in most vehicles. |
My XM lets you record XM programming to MyFi's onboard memory--perfect for time shifting your listening (as with a news program or a scheduled performance on XM Live) or for tuning in when you'll be someplace lacking XM reception (in a canyon, on a subway, in a windowless cubicle, etc.). You can schedule a recording or start and stop recording at any time you wish, and new recordings pick up where you last stopped. But you can't erase anything unless you clear the memory--which means you can't whittle away songs you don't like to retain your favorites. It's also important to remember that when you've filled the unit's memory (128 MB, or 5+ hours of full bitrate XM radio), it'll record over earlier material, starting from the top. During playback, however, My XM lets you skip easily from track to track and even pick from a list of all tracks.
You can configure the MyFi's LCD to scroll stock and sports-score tickers, a great way to keep an eye on important stats. The receiver also features a built-in sleep timer (15 minutes to 1 hour) and an alarm clock (wake to a beep or to XM programming).
What's in the BoxFor car use, you have a choice of mounting options for the vehicle cradle: flush mount, vent mount, or swivel mount. The cradle houses a power jack for a DC vehicle power adapter (included), an antenna input, and an audio output for use with the provided cassette-shell audio adapter. You can use the cassette adapter or the MyFi's built-in wireless FM transmitter, which turns any FM radio into an XM radio. (Audio quality is better using the supplied cassette audio adapter, however. You may also purchase a wired FM adapter, though XM asserts that the cassette adapter sounds better than that, too.)
 The Delphi XM MyFi comes complete with all of the accessories needed to enjoy XM anywhere. |
Positioning the car antenna can be inelegant, despite its heavy-duty magnet. You can have it professionally installed or live with an exposed antenna cord, though XM recommends using "existing holes, body grommets, and other wiring channels" rather than closing a door over the cord on a daily basis. The receiver's battery pack proved good for about five hours between charges. The included earbud headphones are neither comfortable nor particularly well made; a nicer set would represent XM's strong sound quality. --Michael Mikesell
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MyFi receiver with a clip-on antenna, an integrated rechargeable battery, a complete home accessory kit (with antenna and audio cable), a complete vehicle accessory kit (with antenna), stereo earbud headphones, a remote control, a remote battery, a belt clip/stand, a protective carrying case, and quick-start guides and user's manuals in English and Spanish.
